


you're a natural.

by pasketties



Category: Kingdom Hearts
Genre: Beaches, F/M, Fluff, Fluff and Humor, Gen
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-08-31
Updated: 2018-08-31
Packaged: 2019-07-04 20:15:02
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,405
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15848565
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/pasketties/pseuds/pasketties
Summary: Surfing isn't Riku's forte, but luckily for him, it is Kairi's. Being the heroine she is, she won't let one of her best friends continue to fail at what is certainly their birthright as islanders. But, what's that over the horizon...?





	you're a natural.

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Maddy (gaydisneys)](https://archiveofourown.org/gifts?recipient=Maddy+%28gaydisneys%29).



> This is my very first work to be published on here -- and my first public fanfic to see the light of day in at least ten years, mind you -- a casual, fluffy RiKai one-shot. Takes place on the islands, sometime after KH2. By the way, only because they'll be in swimwear do I mention it, but I do portray Riku as trans and there'll probably be a mention of his binder, so I didn't want any confusion. I can't tell you how many times I've been asked if I mean a school binder, haha.
> 
> Dedicated to one of my best friends in the world, Maddy, for her 20th birthday. Happy birthday, sweetheart! ♡

“Ready to try it again?"  
“Hmmm… I dunno. I kinda like it right here. Think I'll stay a while." 

And who can blame Riku for not wanting to be anywhere else? Right here happens to be with his head settled comfortably in Kairi's lap, hair still wet from his latest complete wipe out and certainly matted against her thighs -- but, hey, he's not complaining about the sand she's covered in, now is he? He does however grin up at her, eyes glistening with mischief that contrasts starkly against the sugar sweet smile she returns. If Kairi didn't know any better, she-d say that the look on his face was the 'cool' equivalent of the puppy dog pout -- a shot at making that natural charisma of his work in his favor. 

But she's not having it. 

Softly does a string of giggles erupt and she instinctively covers her mouth with one hand ( the other lays delicately on his upper arm ), head shaking as her eyelids flutter shut. “You're just upset about wiping out so many times. Honestly, Riku it's normal! Not even the _coolest_ of people can get it right on the first try. Besides, it didn't look... _that_ silly." Cue a momentary pause before her eyes open once more and she pushes back the wet hair on his forehead, holding it back. Her smile somehow softens more. “Maybe if you quit being such a scaredy cat, I'll make it worth your while."

Kairi watches in real time as Riku's expression shifts from composure to widened eyes and a wave of red over sun-freckled cheeks, eyebrows raised. She sees him open his mouth to _no doubt_ ask what she means, but before he has the chance, she lowers herself to hover right above his face and leans in, as if to kiss him. Only, she stops right before their lips meet and cracks an eye open, catching the glimpse of his eyes closed and lips puckered, and suddenly she grins mischievously. Instead of finishing the job, she lightly boops his nose with her finger. 

She's not sure what's cuter -- the _actual_ pout that forms when she pulls away, or the look of confusion as she sits upright and pats lightly at where his binder meets his stomach, gesturing for him to get up. “What? I said _maaaybe._ First, you gotta get back on those waves, mister. I'm teaching you how to surf!"

“You know, Kairi, you're a lot meaner than you look, teasing me like that."  
“And you're a lot dorkier than you look."  
“Mean. Cruel, even."  
“Awwww... You'll be okay, you big baby. Come on, let's go."

Kairi can only take so much of her _'get up'_ tummy pats going ignored before she takes matters into her own hands and pushes him up, and he eventually reluctantly stands -- not without a flurry of exasperated sighs, mind you; none of which does she entertain with a response. Instead, she lifts his board from the sand and passes it his way. He's in the middle of brushing sand off of his binder and trunks when she holds it out to him and there's a moment where he just looks at her, brows furrowed and lip curled with uncertainty. Kairi meets this look with a reassuring smile, and he eventually, _finally_ , takes the surfboard from her. “If Sora asks... I was a total natural at this, okay?"

“Haha... okay, Riku. Enough stalling!"

#### back in the water.

Only having cut his wipeouts-per-minute tally in half, Riku finds himself with his forearms rested on his board, face buried in them and all hope utterly lost. What was it about surfing that he couldn't get? He's fought hundreds of waves of heartless, Ansem of Darkness himself, and he can't ride a measly wave? 

Just as he lifts his head to tell her that it's hopeless, a new wave rolls in with Kairi on it, gracefully gliding across water as bright blue as her eyes. Riku's known her long enough to have seen her in all states of being, but this one feels like a mix of all her best moments; complete peace, and even confidence. She's in her element, and he doesn't think he's ever seen her happier. 

Preoccupied with the sound of his heart beating through his ears like the sound of drums, Riku doesn't realize that he's staring at her; much less does he know that there might as well be stars in his eyes with the complete **adoration** that he's just riddled with. 

He can't think about anything else -- and really, it's no wonder he hasn't been able to concentrate on balance this whole time. How can he when she's his teacher? She's not doing anything wrong; in fact, Riku could easily repeat back every tip and trick that she's given him so far... he's just hopelessly smitten, and nine out of his ten wipe-outs have been the result of him looking at _her_ , and not the water. 

God, he loves her so much.

She's paddling her way over to him now, and she's saying something; he thinks it might be about how easy it is if you do something, something, and he feels bad for not listening, but he can't help it. It's not the first time he's gotten lost in thought, lost in _feeling_ when she's around -- what can be said? She just has that effect on him. Always has. He smiles at her, eyes soft and full of endearment, and finally he pushes himself back up onto the board, knees flat against it to paddle towards an incoming wave. 

“This time for sure."  
“This time for sure!" She says back, voice beaming with excitement that reflects equally loud in her eyes. Kairi believes in him, and Riku can feel it. 

It's all he really needs. 

This time, the wave comes and he doesn't fall through; in fact, he glides across it in a manner so balanced that Kairi almost can't believe he was having so much trouble to begin with. Was he faking or something? Laughing in pure joy, she realizes she doesn't really care all that much even if he was; they still spent the whole day together, and he finally did it! 

Kairi waits for another wave to ride over to him, but once he's close enough, she hops off of her board ( with her ankle attached to the leash, it follows her closely ) and swims to him, arms wrapping tightly around his middle. “You did it! I told you that you could ---- ... Riku? What's wrong?" 

He had only smiled for a few seconds of their hug before his attention was caught by something else, and it must be something alarming, judging by the look of urgency and caution in his expression as he looks above them at the sky. His nose twitches. Riku breaks the hug only long enough to kneel on his board once again and he picks her up, setting her behind him. “Hold on to me," he says in a suddenly stern tone, frown pertinent in his expression.

“Riku...?"  
“I smell a storm."

Again with the smelling...? Kairi's eyebrows furrow and she opens her mouth to say something, but her attention is caught by one drop that disrupts the water beneath them, and then two, and then a shower of rain that comes down as if from nowhere. The clouds have darkened and the waves beneath them grow rougher, less forgiving, and Kairi holds onto him. Maybe he really _did_ smell it. Confusion for her boyfriend's strange ability to smell scentless things and phenomenons, she finds herself worried for them both now; there's no way they can surf these waters. Even an experienced surfer like herself would struggle to, and they're not exactly close to shore. 

But then Riku starts paddling them inwards, and he's fast. Scary fast, almost. She holds onto him, and there's a few times where a wave almost knocks them over but he tilts the board back into balance just in time --- **several** times. It's almost like he's not the same person who could barely stand on the board without slipping; and frankly, he's not. Kairi's only seen that look on his face a handful of other occasions, and they were all times that they, or someone they loved, were in danger. Determination. Steady focus. Capability. All in the name of protection. For all of his mistakes, he made up for it in honest love and intention to do what's right. Every time.

She loves a lot about him, but this part, she loved the most. 

Thunder roars directly above them, loud and intrusive, and if Riku wasn't already in high gear, this does it. Only seconds after it sounds, they come up on the shore and he moves with speed that is on par with the lightning that flashes above them, quickly undoing both of their leashes and literally lifting her right onto his back. He supports her with his arms hooked around her legs and his hand grabs the leashes of the surfboards, and he makes a break for it, dragging the boards behind them along the sand. 

Kairi looks over her shoulder towards the sea, and watches right as a bolt of lightning strikes down in the exact area that they'd just been in. Her heart drops. If Riku hadn't gotten them this far... she can't bear to think about it, and she won't. She tucks her face against his back and squeezes her eyes shut.

It seems like the rain only gets heavier once they're on land, pouring down on their backs with vigor and Riku runs faster, holds tighter onto her. The surfboards are let go once they're close enough to the seaside shack and he dips right into it, sorely out of breath by the time the door closes behind them. 

“Riku!" Kairi gets down and his hands let go of her legs, but her arms stay around his shoulders and she turns him to face her, expression littered with worry -- and with gratitude. 

Riku, still struggling to catch his breath, lifts his head and looks at her with an unmarked sort of panic; his eyes dart first to her head, her arms, her legs, and essentially every part of her, not moving to the next one until he clarifies that it's all okay. 

That _she's_ okay. He's okay too, aside from his chest tightening, and together, they're okay. He exhales finally and looks out the window, her hands now clasped on his shoulders. Once again, he can't really hear her over the sound of his own thumping heart and swirling thoughts; his mind is occupied of what's next, and what has to be done to keep them safe. The shack was shelter, sure, but it wasn't the sturdiest of systems, and their only way home was out of question. “We need to wait out the storm," he says suddenly, and he turns his head to face her again. She looks a bit frustrated, probably because he hasn't been listening to her, and hasn't heard or responded to her asking if he was okay about a dozen times, but she's not angry with him. 

She gets it. She gets _him_ , and she gets where his head is at -- crisis mode. Riku might look fairly composed at any given moment, but she knows that there's more to it, and she knows when he hugs her right then that he's as grateful that they're okay -- that she's okay -- as she is to him for getting them back to shore so quickly. His heart beats hard against her chest, and she exhales, running her hand up and down his back. 

By the time he pulls back to face her, his expression has set back to a default normal, a steady demeanor. As steady as he can be, anyways. “Here," he says, letting go of her and turning to walk towards a box in the corner of the shack. “I'll get us some towels." 

Before he can fully step away, Kairi grabs his wrist and he halts suddenly, turning back to face her with worry already written clear across his features. “Kairi? What's wro--" He's cut off by something worthwhile -- something she'd promised in return for getting back in those waters. Frankly, he'd forgotten about it. She has to stand on her very _tippiest_ toes to accomplish it, but she holds his face in her hands and she kisses him right on the mouth, lips soft against his.

Riku melts right into it.

She's the one to break the kiss, but she doesn't stray far. With his cheeks still cupped by her hands and the tip of her nose touching his, she looks back at him with a soft, ever reassuring smile. 

“I love you, Riku."  
“... I love you too."

#### safe.

The storm isn't so bad to watch from the inside looking out, and so they do; they watch out the window with their backs against the wall opposite of it (Riku is very adamant that Kairi stays as far away from the window as possible, and she complies, if only for the reason of easing his worries) and towels around their shoulders, covering all but their hands -- _those_ are held together between them, fingers locked tightly. 

Every so often, the thunder booms through the shack and shakes the ground, prompting Riku to tightly squeeze her hand; so hard it hurts a little bit, actually, but she knows he doesn't mean for it to. 

Kairi isn't afraid of storms. Not when she's safe from them, anyways -- sure, she had been frightened when they were in trouble in the water, but normally she's more fascinated by them than anything else. Riku, on the other hand, flinches every single time it booms; he doesn't acknowledge it, but Kairi notices. It's funny, really; when they were in trouble, he didn't seem scared at all. She knows better than to point it out or draw unnecessary attention to his fear, instead deciding to run her thumb against the outside of his hand in soothing circles. 

If his shoulders steadily relaxing and breath becoming less pant-oriented are any indicator, then it works.

“You know, Riku... you may not be a natural surfer, but you're a natural at something else."

Riku looks to her with puzzled features, but he smiles nonetheless, one brow raised. “Uh... yeah? How do you figure?"

Kairi smiles back. “A natural at being a hero."

**Author's Note:**

> Annnnnd that's a wrap! I hope you enjoyed it, and feel free to leave any thoughts or comments you might have. It probably won't be the last of it's kind, so be on the lookout for more. :)


End file.
